Krystyna's Au pair in America Blog

August 30 - The Importance of Discipline and Limit Setting with Kids of all Ages. Speaker – Robbye Fox, Certified Parent Educator, Parent Encouragement Program.

September 19 - Host Family and Au pair Picnic

October - Dance Class

November 8 - Suntrek Presentation

December – Holiday Party

On Tuesday, May 25th at 6:30pm. many aupairs from 3 clusters had a self-defense class with a real Karate school. They learned how to protect themselves, avoid potentially dangerous situations, be street smart.
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The next APIA Advantage UCLA Extension Class is set to start on March 29. Time is running out to register. There are still spaces available, but you need to act quickly to register.

American Studies Online is a 19-week media-rich, mostly self-paced online course of study. Designed specifically in cooperation with the American Institute For Foreign Study’s “Au Pair in America” program, UCLA Extension’s course offers successful participants 6 quarter units (4 semester units) and a certificate of completion from UCLA Extension. This class satisfies the whole education requirement for au pairs and half of the requirement for Educare companions. View the brochure here.

Participants will read lessons, engage in activities, write, share resources, network with one another, and even collaborate on special projects – all designed to further their understanding of US culture.

The Community Involvement segment of the program takes the au pairs into face-to-face contact with the community. Au pairs will relate these experiences to their academic coursework in American Studies Online.

The interdisciplinary course of study will include:
• US History
• Arts in the US
• US literature
• Career counseling
• English language study (optional)
• TOEFL preparation (optional)

Each group is assigned a “Course Manager” who acts as an “online concierge” to provide high levels of service to ensure a rewarding and trouble-free educational experience.

For course descriptions and current schedule, visit http://www.uclaextension.edu/aupairs
For further information call (310) 206-6671 or email online@uclaextension.edu

Seventy five au pairs visited the White House in March. The tickets were arranged by Congressman Chris Van Hollen’s office.

Come to Flower Mart 2010 – May 7 and May 8 – Honoring Ukraine
71st year – Rain Or Shine – A Benefit For the Cathedral’s Gardens & Grounds – No Admission Fee
This year, Flower Mart honors Ukraine. Dr. Oleh Shamshur, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States has graciously agreed to be our Honorary Chairman. All Hallows Guild is actively working with the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington to showcase Ukraine through entertainment, sport, culture and food.

Flower Mart reaches a wide cross section of the Washington region. On a nice spring day, Flower Mart daily attendance is about 10,000 people. Television, newsprint, radio stations and national publications give Flower Mart excellent coverage and local TV celebrities and weathermen broadcast from the Mart. The NW Current publishes our Program as a special Flower Mart edition, available after April 20, for DC home delivery and at selected locations in Maryland and at the Herb Cottage, South Road of the Cathedral. Click here for a quick look at this year’s Flower Mart – Our flyer

Dates & Hours: FRIDAY, MAY 7th, 10 AM TO 6 PM and SATURDAY, MAY 8th, 10 AM TO 5 PM

Where: Washington National Cathedral, Wisconsin & Massachusetts Aves., NW., Washington, DC

Contacts: Chairman and Committee: Flowermart2010@yahoo.com or 202 686-6975 or
202 365-3222 to reach the Chairman.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is an annual two-week event that celebrates springtime in Washington, DC as well as the 1912 gift of the cherry blossom trees and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan.

Here are some of the highlights:
Family Day & Opening Ceremony – Saturday, March 27, 2010
National Building Museum
401 F Street, NW
Metro Judiciary Square, Red Line
Family Day – 10am-3:30 pm
Opening Ceremony – 4-5:30pm

Smithsonian Kite Festival – Saturday, March 27, 2010
Washington Monument Grounds
10 am-4 pm
Kite Festival Official Website

Fireworks Display – Saturday, April 3, 2010
Southwest Waterfront
Music and activities begin at 5 pm
Fireworks at 8:30 pm

Cherry Blossom Parade – Saturday, April 10, 2010
Constitution Avenue from 7th to 17th Streets, NW
10 am- 12 noon

Helpful links:
Cherry Blossom Festival Website
National Park Service Bloom Watch
Metro Website (use the trip planner feature on this website to find the metro options, taking metro is much better than driving for the festival events)

Seven au pairs volunteered at the International Night at the Westbrook Elementary School in Bethesda, MD. They served food, helped with crafts and drawing, make paper flowers and had a great time tasting excellent food prepared by the parents.

Three clusters will meet at 7:45 pm at the ice rink. Please be on time.
Invitation and details about this cluster meeting were sent by email to all of the au pairs.

What is a Playseum?

Click Here PlayseumA children’s used bookstore in the venue of a cityspace with on-hands fun.

BE WITH ME Playseum is a one-stop shop of quality time for both parent and child with:

Used Books with Arts and Crafts for Purchase
Free Song and Story Times each day catered to specific Ages
Engaging Age Appropriate Adventures
Buzz Around Groups for Moms & Nannies
Daily Art and Science Activities
Holiday Celebrations that Bring Family and Community Together
Splash- Students Play & Learn after School Hours

The Playseum…
IS a year-round indoor facility mixing education and creative play in the venue of a cityscape.
OFFERS hands-on creative opportunities for children 9 months- 14 years old.
EXTENDSi itself with excellence for the parent’s comfort and child’s safety.
GUARANTEES quality time for both parent and child upon every visit.

In 2009, Borough of Manhattan Community College – City University of New York (BMCC-CUNY) began providing a new educational opportunity for students living in the metro New York City area through our Learning Across America courses. They recently announced an expansion of these courses to our area!

Courses are offered through BMCC-CUNY. The classroom sessions will be held at the George Mason University campus in Arlington, VA (a two minute walk from the Virginia Square/GMU metro stop.) The certificate of completion will be issued by BMCC-CUNY.

Course breakdown for DC area students (exactly the same as NYC area students):

Students register for a course on the BMCC-CUNY website.
Each course consists of 3 classroom sessions (10am – 4pm on 3 separate dates) and a mandatory tour (tour is included in tuition price) to the destination studied.
Outside work will be required of each student
Upon successful completion of the classroom sessions and tour, a certificate of completion will be issued showing 4.5 CEUs (or 45 hours) have been earned.

How much does the program cost?
Course fees (which include the tour) start at $379. Please see website for more information.

How many credits will I earn?
You will earn for 4.5 CEU’s (or 45 hours) for each course.
Certificate of completion will be issued by BMCC-CUNY.

How do I register?

Click Here
call (212) 346-8410